A Dish Best Served Cold
by CamelotGirl
Summary: The Miranda broadcast was only the beginning. The gauntlet has been thrown down and everyone is answering the challenge.
1. appetizer

**A Dish Best Served Cold**

River stared intently at the bowl in Jayne's hand heaped with the Proteus® brand protein stir fry left over from the previous night's dinner that he was now wolfing down for lunch. At first Jayne responded by eating more rudely than even his usual style of slovenliness, just to try and get a reaction from her, but after ten minutes of River's eyes seemingly mesmerized by the sight of the protein in the cheap and much worn dish, Jayne lost most his appetite and he snapped, "What the _wǒ kào_ is with you, girlie? Never see someone try and eat leftovers before?"

River's gaze rose to meet Jayne's. "Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables."

"_Shénme_?" asked Jayne.

River stood up. "The course must be checked. We are no longer north-by-northwest, but the course must be checked." She calmly left the mess in the direction of the helm, living a rather uneasy crew behind her in the mess.

Simon was disturbed, especially since this wasn't an isolated incident of more ramblings he thought Miranda had put behind them. Her cryptic comments had begun just when he was starting to breathe easier again after she had proven to be much, much more stable and doing an excellent job as _Serenity_'s new pilot. River had been dancing in the cargo bay; somehow – no one was quite sure how – she had convinced Jayne to play his guitar so she would have music to dance to. In the middle of a beautiful arabesque she had crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.

Jayne had freaked out, convinced Reavers were about to descend, and frantically tried to wake her up. A few moments later, as the whole crew descended into the cargo bay, shouting in confusion and worry, she opened her eyes and said flatly, "The queen is dead. Long live the queen." She then calmly got up and left in the direction of the cockpit.

Malcolm Reynolds had been the first to say anything into the silence that met her grim statement: "Well… that can't be good."

Simon had found her later sitting in the pilot chair, downloading Mozart's _Requiem_ from the cortex, and all she would say in answer to his concerned queries was that the curtain was up but she didn't know how many acts until they would be on stage.

The day after River's cryptic comments in the mess they landed at the docks of New Halifax, on Panquin. It was only River's third landing, but she took to flying, like, as Mal said, "a scrawny duck to water."

"OK people," said Mal, as everyone gathered in the cargo bay, eager to get some real light and non recycled air, "As promised, I'm givin' y'all the day to enjoy. River, you got the security measures all set up?"

"Mother bird knows chicks need to stretch their wings, and they will have a safe nest to return to."

"I'll take that as a yes then. Ok, we're all set to take off for a bit of wing stretching - but I want everyone back here by 10 o'clock tonight at the absolute latest, hear me? In the meantime, keep a low profile – mouth closed, ears open, like we talked about. And try not get shot, kidnapped, or arrested – River and Jayne, I'm looking at you," he said with a frown. River put on her most angelic face that only made Mal frown harder.

"So it's ok if I shoot someone?" asked Jayne with a broad grin, clearly just trying to get a rise out of Mal.

"If you shoot, 96.8 percent probability you will get shot in return given current factors," said River in a bored tone. "And infirmity supplies are already low. You can buy a second glass of New Canaan or a new box of weaves, your choice." She then sauntered past him to the now open cargo door.

"Goramit girl, your math takes the fun outta everything," he grumbled. "I got half a mind to shoot someone just to prove you Jayne can too shoot without getting shot."

She paused on the ramp to look back and grinned wickedly. "Jayne only _has_ half a mind to begin with. Besides, Jayne promised to first chaperone girl to clothes bazaar so Simon and Captain Daddy would not hover in exchange for three nights off dishwashing."

Jayne sighed theatrically, "Let's go, Crazy." He walked after her, grumbling to himself more out of a making a show of his masculinity than out of any real ill feelings.

Simon watched them go with some anxiety as they walked down the street, River making comments about 'knight errent's supposed to offer arm,' distracted with worry about what could wrong until Kaylee came up behind him and put her own arm through his. "I hope you didn't forget our date, Dr. Tam?" she asked slyly.

Looking startled, then, in a show of quick thinking not often seen when Simon was faced with trying to say something nice to Kaylee, he drawled, "I would forget everything I learned in med school before I could forget you, Miss Frye," while gazing at her adoringly.

"Well, you two love birds get out of here before I puke," admonished Mal. Kaylee shot the captain a mock glare then Inara an excited grin and then she and Simon strolled out, arm in arm, in the direction of the city center.

Mal glanced to the side, "Inara, Zoe, I do believe we have a contact to speak to."

The contact was located at the city's local Companion house – House Tayu, a smallish but still dignified looking branch of the Companion Guild. In fact, the building seemed to be trying to make up for size and location in an excess of architectural decoration that bordered on gaudy. The three of them were met at the entrance by a very solemn majordomo who escorted them to an elaborate sitting room and told the House Priestess would be with them shortly.

Inara sat composedly on one of the low silk draped couches. Mal paced around while Zoe stood very still with her back to a wall, eyes flicking between the doorway they had come in and the glass doors that opened to an abundantly flowering garden. The room was silent but from other parts of the building low chanting could be heard and outside could be heard some obviously yet to be well trained girls talking and giggling.

The door opened, revealing another high ranking servant who announced, "Her Grace, Alexandra Dubois, Priestess of House Tayu. A woman who looked about ten years older than Inara, but just as graceful and elegant came in. Her skin was very pale and her hair, currently done up in an intricate knot, was light red. Her sari was light grey shot through with gold thread. She was clearly everything a Companion was supposed to be, but there was a firmness to her that suggested if necessary she could shed her fancy trappings and take up hoe and plow.

Mal was reminded of his Earth-that-Was history lessons from boyhood about a monarch called the Virgin Queen. Mal firmly bit his check to keep from smiling at the incongruity of the comparison. A girl of about fifteen followed the priestess and set a tray of fancy tea things down on the main little table, then backed out respectfully with the announcer, leaving the trio alone with the elegant lady.

"Welcome to House Tayu, Miss Serra, Captain Reynolds, Mrs. Washburne," she said with an elegant nod of the head. "I am very glad you contacted me. Indeed, it seems beyond serendipitous that you should contact me asking me about a possible job, when in truth I was wondering how to contact you about…work." She raised an eyebrow and waited, unasked questions sitting heavily in the air.

Inara spoke, sounding uncharacteristically humble to Mal. "Your grace, I had heard talk back at House Madrassa that you had been posted this far out, indeed, effectively banished and exiled, because you supported the Independents during the Unification War. It was rumored that the Guild suspected, but couldn't prove, that you were coordinating supply runs for Browncoats."

"Did you hear why I was against Unification?" the priestess asked, her face impassive.

Just as composedly, Inara answered, "It was said you blamed the Alliance for the loss of your sister and brother-in-law."

The priestess smiled coldly, "And now, ten years and many unnecessary deaths later, I am proven right. The Miranda broadcast was far worse than anything I could have imagined. I _knew_ the Alliance was lying about what happened there when, forced for an answer about the lack of reports from Miranda, they blamed the colony founders for accidentally setting up parts of the terraforming machinery incorrectly, turning the planet into a blackrock, but I had no idea what a huge boldfaced terrible lie it was until a few weeks ago." She closed her briefly as a spasm of pain crossed her face. "I have lain awake at nights imaging the possible fates of either a long slide into death or becoming a… Reaver that my family faced, unable to decide what would worse."

She took a breath, regaining her composure. Inara wordlessly poured a cup of tea and handed it to the priestess.

"Captain Reynolds," Alexandra said, abruptly addressing Mal, "all reports indicate you have single handedly – with the help of a rag tag crew of one rickety old Firefly – have started what will no doubt be recorded in the history books as the Second Unification War. I intend to see to it that history records a different outcome this time around. I will force feed the Alliance a cold dish of revenge and make them choke on it, single handedly if I must."

"Well, it looks like we're at the right place," said Mal in his 'you're-my-kind-of-stupid' tone of voice.

"And what do you intend to do?"

Mal looked her straight in the eye. "I intend to keep flying. And, in the process, see if I can clip the wings of that ugly vulture that calls itself the Alliance."

"Good. I've arranged to have some like minded folk to meet here tonight. I'll have the details of the job for you then. Please bring any of your crew willing to speak of what really happened to bring about the broadcast. The people coming here are interested in hearing Truth."

The conversation over, parting pleasantries were exchanged all around. Alexandra rang a small bell and the majordomo came and escorted them back outside the compound. Mal blinked rapidly, eyes adjusting to the bright sunlight outside after the dim coolness inside. "Well," he said, "that was… interesting."

"I told you that you could trust her, Mal," said Inara chidingly.

"That you did. Zoe, what's your take on our new contact?"

"She's angry. She wants to hit something. And think you just volunteered to be her rock to throw at an Alliance window. Sir." deadpanned Zoe.


	2. drinks

Almost the whole crew went back to House Tayu that night.

Jayne, apparently making up for several weeks without any shore leave, was passed out dead drunk in his bunk when the rest left to see the priestess. It had been River, of all people, who had found him in a seedy little dive, drunk and getting ready to break things. She had calmly knocked him out cold with a well placed tiny fist to the head, and then sweetly, with many charming lies and much battering of the eyelashes, cajoled two bar patrons into carrying his unconscious form back to _Serenity_.

"Sorry about your troubles with your brother, Miss Kennedy," said one of the men as they left, touching his right hand to his hat respectively after she had overseen them dumping Jayne in his bunk.

"Many thanks gentlemen," said River, spouting an accent that sounded like she was a born and bred Londiniumer. She pouted prettily. "It's sad the black sheep has strayed so far from the flock, but it will get better when he's home."

She waved goodbye to them as they walked down the ramp back into the dark evening just as Inara and Mal came strolling in, almost, but note quite, touching. "Lil' albatross? Something I should know about?" asked Mal.

"Damage and rule breaking have been prevented," she said proudly. Then she frowned, "Jayne will not thank the girl tomorrow, but she- I know first hand headaches can cause irrational behavior. All is forgiven." She smiled broadly.

"Well, glad to hear that," said Mal, smiling to cover up the fact he had no idea what the teenager was talking about, although he could make a few broad guesses.

"Are we going to the House of Enyo's daughter now?" she asked.

"Huh?" replied Mal eloquently.

"And Homer spoke of the Trojan battalions in their strength. 'And Ares led them with his sister, the goddess Enyo, she carrying in her heart the turmoil of shameless hatred.' You should read more Captain."

"I think I liked you better when you were completely incomprehensible," grumbled Mal. River stuck her tongue out at him. "Are we all here, lil' Albatross?"

"Logic dictates Simon and Kaylee will need to come up for air soon. I do not think Simon has mastered the technique of circular breathing, although I'm sure Kaylee would be eager to teach him, since she has more practice on the _suona_. But in the meantime-"

River broke off as the sound of Kaylee's giggles could be clearly heard from the night outside the ship. "Simon, that tickles!" she laughed as the two came up the ramp together, their arms entwined, stumbling a bit as neither were paying much attention to where they were going.

Mal ordered everyone still conscious to come into the mess hall where he explained about the Priestess Alexandra. "I knew going in she was a smuggler and Independent sympathizer, but it seems she wants to take things up a notch. She asks all of those willing to come to this meeting of hers where she'll have people interested in hearing us say our piece. And then we'll hear what she has in mind to do."

Simon tried to object to River going, but both the captain and River pointed out that she was so far in there was no point in trying to shelter her now. River added some creative insults implying Simon thought she was still two years old and he was an idiot and if he didn't stop treating her like a baby she would tell Kaylee what had happened at his sixteenth birthday party. As Simon turned an interesting shade of red and Kaylee, laughing, asked for the story, the group left the ship and headed towards the Companion house.

There were greeted by the night porter at the gate and then shown to the house's temple room. Priestess Alexander came in dressed in a dress of deep red which made her skin look even paler and her hair was done in a long braid twisted with silk ribbons of blue, yellow and green. Mal frowned, unpleasantly reminded of an old memory of young girls at the transport station on Shadow coming to see relatives and friends off, decked in Independent colors. Standing beside her was a woman who, despite being dressed as a Companion, was also wearing a belt with a thin rapier at her left side and a gun on her right side.

The priestess greeted them with a sincere looking smile. "Welcome, crew of _Serenity_. This is my bodyguard, Malka. Please follow me." She walked up to the statue of Buddha and twisted what had looked like a solid stone ear. The statue slid to the side, revealing a set of stairs going down to an underground level of the compound.

"Do all whor- Companion places come with one of those?" asked Mal, rapidly switching his glance between Inara and Alexandra.

"Just the ones originally built by crazy snake worshipping cultists," said the priestess. Mal looked ready to balk at the stairs. "Don't worry captain, the snakes are long gone," she reassured him calmly as she led the way down the stone steps. She chuckled, as if at a private joke, "Just the angel with the flaming sword left," gesturing at the woman at her side.

The room was quite nicely decorated for an underground secret meeting room; the walls were painted warm colors with outdoor frescos depicted to make up for a lack of windows. There was a thick red carpet and an assortment of coaches and chairs, most already filled with quite a number of people. There was a side table with an assortment of drinks and small foodstuffs. It almost seemed like a cocktail party except for the tense atmosphere in the room. "Everyone," said Alexandra without preamble, "these are the people responsible for the Miranda Broadcast."

There was a loud murmur of shock, and then one of the woman, a tiny woman who looked to about seventy, came up to the group and said, "Gods bless you. Thank you for breaking the Silence." People around the room made noises of agreement.

Mal said in an uncomfortable voice, "We just did what we had to do, m'am."

Alexandra began making introductions, but hesitated, uncertain, after she introduced Mal, Inara and Zoe. "I'm Kaylee," said Kaylee, "I'm just the ship's mechanic," she said modestly.

"You got a Firefly through Reaver space?" asked one of the men.

"Twice," she beamed, less modestly.

"And this here is our ship's doctor, Simon," said Mal. "And his little sister, River, our pilot." Mal placed both hands on her shoulders in a paternal manner. "She was the first to know about Miranda."

"She's just a _child_," said a woman about Alexandra's age, dressed in hard worn clothing and sporting a Browncoat of her own.

"Doctors used long needles and cold knives that took childhood away," said River sadly. "I was the star of their circus but they would have killed me for learning how they were trying to expand their roads." River looked down on her hands, "All the perfumes in Arabia won't wash the blood away."

Simon put his arm around her waist. "Shuh, _mei-mei_, shuh, you're safe now," he said comfortingly.

"What did the Alliance do to her?" asked the old woman, horrified.

"And how did she find out about Miranda?" asked someone else.

"It's a long story," said Mal with a weary sigh.

"Well," said a man in dark green pants, sweater and cap leaning on the side table, "I've brought two bottles of Darien Glory, so let's hear it." He poured a few glasses of amber liquid and passed them around. "Captain Neil Grey," he introduced himself. "From one captain to 'nother," he said, handing Mal a glass, his accent betraying the fact he had grown up on the Rim world of Darien, a planet with a reputation for producing the worst sorts of drunken brawlers to ever smash up a bar. Also known for brewing some of the best whiskies in the 'verse.

"Are you up for talking?" Mal asked River, a code phrase they had worked out earlier to ask if she Read they were with a group of people who wouldn't betray them.

"Yes," she said, looking up at him with a trusting smile. She turned to face the rest of the group. "They lied to me," she began simply.

The talking went on for hours, everyone putting their bit in. There were periods when the people listened silently, struck speeches, there were other times when everyone asked questions. When the talking finally ended Mal sensed, although there were no windows, it was probably somewhere around dawn.

"Now what?" asked Mal.

"I assume no one in this room has any problems breaking laws?" the priestess asked, somewhat rhetorically.

There were some nasty chuckles but River spoke up and said solemnly, "The Roman Marcus TulliusCicero said that the good of the people is the _chief_ law." There were murmurs of assent around the room.

"The lass is right," said Captain Grey, "The 'liance ha' broken their own laws at the cost of the people they were supposed to protect and it's time they paid the piper." He crossed his muscled arms over his barrel like chest. "We willna' be fooled again," he growled ominously.

"Any idiot can start a war," said the priestess bluntly, "the real trick is winning not only the battles but also getting the people's support. And we are going to get it." She walked over to the main table where she had a pile of maps, plaquettes and papers. Mal was reminded now of some of the generals he had met during the war; she had the same air of someone who assumed being in charge without question. "The supply runs I turned into a smuggling operation during the _peace_ shouldn't be too hard to turn back into a war supply chain. Recruitment, manifestos, propaganda, supplies, government infrastructure – it is possible for us to do all this; the problem, the same as last time, is that the Alliance can do it on a larger scale. So the process needs be two fold – do something, and disrupt the Alliance ability to do the same. Captain Reynolds, are you in the mood to fly into the lion's mouth?"


End file.
